For the Sake of Living Don't
by Never.Let.Tears.Fall
Summary: Haru saves who he thinks is just a girl in his class from a group of guys, but he comes to find out it is actually Tohru's cousin he saved. When their feelings get too deep, what will Tohru think? How would she react to her cousin going out with him?
1. Chapter 1

.:_For the Sake of Living... Don't_:.

**Chapter 1**

Class was over, and everyone was walking out of the room, including the teacher. In the corner of the room, somewhere around 4 guys stood, all in a circle, a small girl in front of them, pinned against the wall.

"Please... don't..." A small voice said as louder ones were heard around it, laughing and making jokes.

"Haha! What are you gonna do, girl?" One voice said as cold as ever.

"Are you gonna fight back?" Another said, laughing as he said it.

"Haha! I doubt she can! Look at her!" Said another, laughing along with the others in the group.

The girl tried to slump closer to the wall, but couldn't go any farther. If she were to go any further, she would definately have to dig a hole in the wall. With her back pressed against the wall, she stared up at the boys, terror in her eye as they hit her, kicked her, poked her, pulled her hair. She then closed her eyes, putting her head down and covering it with her hands, ending up removing them from her short skirt, which was now trying to be lifted by one of the guys. Tears started to run down her face slowly as she tried to tell them over and over again to stop.

"Hey..." Said a new voice. "Leave her alone."

The leader of the guys, the one first to talk. "Huh? Why the hell should we listen to you, punk?" He asked.

"Because, if you don't, then I'll have to get angry."

"Ha! And why should I be afraid of you? You're just a little punk, not worthy of my time." The leader said, laughing.

The next few seconds were a blur. The girl who was against the wall suddenly felt no hands on her, no poking, no hitting, no kicking. She instead heard it. Looking up slowly, the girl took her hands off of her eyes, looking to see what was going on. What she saw was a man standing there, hitting, punching, and kicking those men that were tormenting her so. Her eyes watched as all of her perpetrators were hit to the ground, some standing up and running out of the room as quickly as their legs could carry them out. Soon the last one had left and only the fighter was left in the room along with the girl.

Slowly removing her hands from her head, she looked ahead, staring at the man that had saved her. He turned to look at her and he walked towards her, stopping in front of her. He spoke gently. "Hey... are you all right?" He asked, looking into the girl's eyes softly.

Swallowing, the girl nodded. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." She said. She put her hands on the ground and made to get up, but the boy in front of her held out a hand.

"Here, let me help." He said. The girl took his hand and he pulled her up into a standing position, ending up bringing her very close to his own face. He smiled but stepped back. "I'm Hatsuharu Sohma, by the way." He said to her, bowing.

"Oh! I'm Ameko Morioka. It's nice to meet you, Hatsuharu Sohma-san." The girl said, also bowing. She stood up and smiled at Haru. "Thank you for your help. But I have to be going now. Ja ne!" She said, rushing out of the classroom with tears still in her eyes and on her cheek.

Haru watched her go, yet made no movement to stop her. He instead went outside. He was greeted by one of his cousins.

"Haru, what took you so long?" Momiji asked him as they walked towards the Main House.

"I got held up in some business. Hey, do you know a girl? Ameko Morioka?" Haru asked Momiji as he walked, his arms above his head.

Momiji thought a moment, trying to place the name to a face. "Oh! I know her! She's in our class, right? Year 1, class A. She's really shy... never talks to anyone. But she's really pretty." Momiji said. "Why?"

Haru shook his head. "No reason. I just met her. She acts like Tohru." Haru said.

"Really? You're going to have to introduce me to her sometime!" Momiji said to Haru as they entered the gates to the main house.

Haru nodded. "I'll try. Hopefully she'll talk to me." He said, more to himself than to Momiji.

"Huh? Why would she not talk to you?" Momiji asked.

"What? I never said that." Haru said.

"Okay then. Whatever you say." Momiji said, walking up to the door into the house. "Hari-san! We're home!" Momiji yelled into the house.

"Jeez, Momiji. Do you really have to say that every time?" Haru asked as he took his shoes off and headed to the right, towards his room.

"Haru. Shigure's asked that you go to his house." Hatori said, coming into the room. Momiji made to hug Hatori, but he held out his hand, keeping Momiji from hugging him.

"Pssh. Why now?" Haru asked. "And what for?"

"I don't know. They just want you over there." Hatori said, turning around and walking towards his office. "If you need a ride, tell me. I need to go over there anyway."

Sighing, Haru made his way to his room, throwing himself on the bed. Why did they need him over at the main house anyway? He sat up and looked around his room at the emptiness. After that argument he had with Rin, he just couldn't help but get rid of everything in his room that reminded him of her. Coincidentially, that was nearly everything in the room, besides his bed. So now all he had was his bed, a couple of posters, and his closet full of clothes.

Standing up, he walked out of the room to Hatori's room. "All right, Hatori. I'm ready to go." He said. Hatori stood up and the two of them walked to the car, driving to Shigure's house.

"Hatori, do you know why I'm requested there?" Haru asked Hatori as they drove.

"I don't know. Shigure called a little before you got home and said that you were needed at the house." Hatori told him.

"Hnn." Haru said, his arms folded as he looked out the window. He watched as the trees passed and finally they came to a stop at Shigure's house.

Stepping out of the car, Haru walked up to the door and opened it, not bothering to knock. As usual, Kyo was making some complaint, Tohru was apologizing for something, Yuki was trying to tell Tohru to stop apologizing and trying to get Kyo to stop whatever the hell he was yelling about, and Shigure was being as perverted as ever. Haru walked into the kitchen where they all sat and sat down between Yuki and Tohru.

"Yo." Was all he said. He looked at the table, seeing a rice ball and picking one up, taking a bite out of it.

"JEEZ, YOU STUPID COW! CAN'T YOU KNOCK BEFORE YOU COME BARGING IN! AND CAN'T YOU ASK NEXT TIME?" Kyo yelled at Haru, who sat back lazily.

"Shut up, baka neko." Haru said cooly. He then looked at Shigure. "So what's up, Gure-san? Why'd you need me here?" He asked him, finishing the rice ball. "Good onigiri, Tohru." He said as a side-note to Tohru who smiled and thanked him.

"Well, actually, Tohru called you over here." Shigure said.

Haru turned to Tohru. "Haru-san, do you know my cousin?" She asked looking over at Haru.

"Huh? Why would I know your cousin?" Haru asked.

"Because she came here crying and saying your name." Yuki told him.

"What!" Haru asked, sitting up. "What the heck did I do!" He yelled.

"Um, I don't know." Tohru said. "Please calm down, Haru." She said.

Haru took a deep breath and then stood. "Whatever. I'm going to go find this cousin of yours and ask why she came here crying and saying my name..." He said, turning around. He was on his knees about to get up when he saw a pair of legs in front of him. Looking up, he saw the girl from earlier... Ameko Morioka.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hi people! It's my new story! LOL. Anyway, hope you all liked it:) Talk to ya later! Check for an update in about a week!


	2. Chapter 2

.:_For the Sake of Living… Don't_:.

**Chapter 2**

Haru looked up at Ameko and then stood up, looking down at her.

"Hi." He said, smiling. She just stared up at him. She then went over to Tohru and sat down, burying her head in her arm.

"Tohru-san! You said you wouldn't call him!" She said.

"I'm sorry, Ame-chan!" Tohru said.

"Morioka-san, I'm sorry too for calling him. But you wouldn't tell us why you were saying his name. We had to call him over to figure it out." Yuki told her calmly.

Ameko nodded slowly and looked up. "The boys in class were teasing me again today." She told Tohru.

"Teasing, Ameko-san?" Haru asked. "That was not teasing." He said, sitting back down, this time on the opposite side of Tohru, since Ameko had taken the space between Tohru and Yuki.

"Keep going, Ame-chan." Tohru said.

"Well, when I was about to give up, Sohma-sama came and saved me." She said.

"So is that why you were saying his name when you came in here, Morioka-san?" Yuki asked.

"Hai." She said.

"And the reason you were crying was because they were teasing you?" Tohru asked.

"Hai." She said again.

"Well, that settles it. Thanks for coming over, Haru." Yuki said to Haru.

"Yeah. No problem." He said, taking another oniguri from the bowl and taking a bite.

Ameko watched as Haru took a bite of the oniguri and then she stood. Looking back down at Tohru, Ameko smiled. "I'm going to go back to do homework, okay onee-chan?" Ameko said. Tohru nodded and Ameko made her way to the stairs.

"Why does she call you onee-chan?" Yuki asked Tohru.

"Well, when my mother died, and I stayed at my grandpa's house, she would always come over and be crying, so I took care of her. I guess she sees me as an older sister in some ways."

During their conversation, Haru had stood and followed after Ameko. He had watched her walk into Tohru's room and he walked towards it slowly and quietly. He stopped when he reached it and knocked softly on the door.

"Onee-chan?" Ameko asked, apparently thinking it was Tohru. Instead of saying anything different, Haru opened the door.

"Hey." He said.

Ameko looked down at Tohru's bed. "Hi." She said.

"Hey, are you all right?" Haru asked her, walking over to the bed and sitting down.

"Hai." She said, still looking down.

"No, you aren't. Are you?" Haru asked, looking at her for a while. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the tears slowly erupt from her eyes like a volcano.

"You're the first person to stand up for me, Sohma-sama." Ameko said.

Haru wanted to smile at Ameko, but he didn't. Instead, he lifted his hand to Ameko's chin and raised it, making her look at him. "That's nothing to cry about though." He said.

"It is. I used to deal with that every day until you stopped them." She told him.

"What? Every day!" Haru asked, getting pissed.

"Yes. But they'd always stop after kicking me and hitting me a few times. It went farther this time than ever." She said. Seeing the anger in Haru's eyes, she spoke quickly. "Don't get mad, Sohma-sama. Please."

Haru managed to take in a few calming breaths and he closed his eyes, nodding. "Okay. I won't."

After a small smile formed on Ameko's lips, it turned to a frown once again as she leaned forward and put her head on Haru's lap.

"Wha? Hey!" Haru said, startled. But he shut up. Seeing the emotional pain that she was going through right now Haru knew better. He instead smiled and put his hand on the back of her head, stroking it softly, soothingly.

Ameko let the tears fall, though after a while she lifted her head up, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and muttering an apology to Haru.

"An apology? What for? You didn't do anything wrong." Haru said to Ameko.

"I did… I wet your pants with my tears." She told him, pointing to a spot on his thigh where a small portion of the pants was wet.

Haru smiled at Ameko. "It's fine." He told her. Noticing that she was still crying, Haru put his arm around her neck and pulled her towards himself, into a hug that wasn't a hug. Ameko's head rested on his chest and the rest of her body was leaning towards him. In all of her confusion, all Ameko did was sit there for a moment. Then, slowly, she wrapped her arms around Haru's arm, hugging it.

After a couple minutes, the grip on his arm slowly left. Looking down, Haru smiled. Ameko had fallen asleep, her head in his lap. He gently lifted her head and put a pillow under it in his place and he put a blanket over her. Bending down, Haru had the strong urge to kiss her, but he closed his eyes and withheld it. He stood back up, walked to the door, and was about to walk out when that urge came back.

Haru looked at Ameko, watching as her chest slowly rose and receded. He walked quietly over to her, bending down and pressing his lips softly to her cheek, then to her forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning… Ameko Morioka." Haru said, smiling and standing up straight. He walked back to the door and went out, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Haha! The dumb cow wet his pants!" Kyo said, laughing as Haru walked into the hallway, the small wet spot on his pants still visible.

"Shut up, baka neko." Haru said, walking past him and hitting him in the head as he went downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

_.:For the Sake of Living… Don't:._

**Chapter 3**

Rubbing her eyes as the morning sun awakened her, Ameko sat up slowly in Tohru's bed. On the other side of the room, on the couch, Tohru laid. Ameko stood up slowly and went into the bathroom, taking a quick shower. She then got dressed quietly and made her way downstairs. As she entered the front room Ameko jumped slightly. Shigure sat on the couch, a newspaper in his hands and his glasses on. He turned his head and looked at Ameko, smiling.

"Ah, good morning, Ameko." He said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Hai, Shigure-sama." Ameko said, bowing slightly. "Thank you for letting me stay over. I hope I wasn't a bother." She said.

"Of course not. You are welcome over any time, okay Ameko?" Shigure said.

Ameko nodded, smiling, and she went into the kitchen, putting on an apron. She started cooking then, filling the house with the smell of her wonderful cooking. A half-asleep Kyo wandered down the stairs.

"Is Tohru cooking again?" Kyo asked groggily as he slumped down on the couch.

"No, Ameko is." Shigure said, still reading the newspaper.

"Huh? Ameko? She's still here?" Kyo asked.

"Hai." Ameko said from the doorway to the kitchen. "Kyo-sama, could you come help me for a second?" She asked him.

Kyo looked up and nodded, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

"What do you need help with?" Kyo asked.

"Umm, could you try this? I don't know if it is good enough." Ameko said, gesturing to a plate next to her on the counter.

"Okay..." Kyo said. He took a bite out of the food, chewing it and swallowing it. "I don't know why you think this wouldn't be good enough. It's great. Really." He said.

Ameko smiled. "Thanks, Kyo-sama." She said, bowing.

"Hey! No bowing! And don't call me Kyo-sama. Just Kyo, okay?" Kyo said to her.

Ameko nodded hesitantly. "O-okay." She said. Kyo smiled and put his hand on her head.

"Hey, who's cooking?" Haru's voice said.

"Tohru probably." Yuki's voice answered.

"No I'm not. I'm right here." Tohru's voice said.

Ameko walked out of the kitchen, a wooden spoon in her hand. "I'm cooking. I hope it's not a problem. I just wanted to cook for you in return for your hospitality last night. I didn't mean to fall asleep." She said.

"Ame-chan! It smells wonderful!" Tohru said.

Yuki smiled warmly. "Yes, Morioka-san. It smells delicious." He told her.

"Heh. It _is_ delicious." Kyo said, walking up behind Ameko. He placed a hand on her head. "She might be passing you, Tohru." He said.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised." Tohru said, smiling.

"My parents used to be chefs." Ameko said. "They taught me how to cook when I was little." She said proudly. She turned around and looked at the kitchen. "I believe the food's ready." She said. She turned around, slipping past Kyo, and walked into the kitchen to put the food on plates and set them on the table. Kyo turned around and walked into the kitchen to help her.

Haru stood there silently. He then made his way to the table and sat down, his head hanging slightly. The food was brought to the table and everyone ate.

"Your parents must have been wonderful chefs, Morioka-san." Yuki said as he ate.

"Yes, this is wonderful, Ameko." Shigure said. "Almost better than Tohru's cooking." He said.

Ameko blushed. "Thank you." She said, taking another bite of her breakfast. Everyone finished and Ameko started to clean up. Haru stood and helped.

The two of them walked into the kitchen with the dirty plates. Haru walked up to the sink and washed the dishes as Ameko took the towel and a clean, wet plate from Haru, drying them. Shyly, she took another plate from Haru, drying it and placing it on the counter.

"Ameko-san?" Haru said, handing her another washed plate as she put one of the dry ones on top of the others.

"H-hai?" She said timidly, taking the plate from Haru and drying it.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked her.

Slowly Ameko shook her head, but soon it stopped. She shrugged slightly. "I don't know." She said.

"Well, what's wrong?" Haru asked. "You can tell me." He said, handing her another plate.

Ameko took the plate and dried it slowly. "Haru…" She said. "I… I think I like someone." She told him.

"Yeah?" He asked, continuing to wash the dishes.

"Hai." She said. "And… I don't know if he feels the same about me." She told him, putting the now dry dish on the counter.

"Why don't you just ask?" He asked her, handing her another plate. "By the way, that's the last one." He added.

"I don't know if I should ask." She told him, taking the plate and finishing drying it.

"Well, do I know him?" Haru asked. Ameko nodded. "Is he in our class?" Ameko nodded again. "Okay, well how about you hang out with me and my friends and you can see if he likes you back, okay?" Haru said.

Ameko blushed slightly. "You'd really do that?"

Haru smiled, nodding. "Of course. It's no problem." He told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Ameko, still holding the last plate and towel smiled up at him. "Thank you, Hatsuharu-sama!" She said.

"Just call me Haru, okay Ameko-san?" Haru told her. She nodded hesitantly. "Now hurry up and let's get going. We don't want to be late, do we?" Haru asked her.

Ameko and Haru finished in the kitchen and then the two of them left the house, saying goodbye to Shigure. As they walked it was somewhat quiet, Ameko not talking too much because of her shyness, Haru not talking much because… well… he had nothing to say. After moments of silence, the two started talking about Haru's friends, Haru explaining all about them, then telling her about Momiji, his cousin. He told her to watch out for him, because he liked to sneak up on people, and he sure did.

The two reached the school and walked to their classroom. Ameko walked shyly with Haru towards Haru's friends. Looking around the room, Ameko saw the three guys that had done those horrible things to her all those times and she grabbed Haru's arm. Haru looked down at her confused. Ameko held his arm, her head down. Haru looked back up and greeted his friends. Ameko looked up and smiled slightly at them all.

"Hey guys, this is Ameko Morioka. She'll be hanging with us, okay?" Haru said.

Everyone greeted Ameko, the girls greeting her as well.

"You're really pretty, Ameko." Ikihara said to her.

"Really?" Ameko asked her.

"Yeah." She looked to Haru. "Looks like you found a good one, Haru." She said.

Haru shook his head. "Nah, she's just a friend." He told them all.

"Suuure she is." Takashi said, elbowing Haru in the arm. Haru rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Haru said. "Anyway, like I said, she'll be hanging with us, so be nice."

Tatsuki laughed. "We won't hurt her or anything, Haru. Don't worry." She said to Haru.

"Yeah, okay. Anyway, I'll be right back." Haru said. "Got some business to do."

"W-what?" Ameko said, turning to look at Haru.

Haru smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll be back." He said. "Just hang out for a bit, okay?"

Ameko hesitated a moment, then nodded slowly. "O-okay." She said. Haru put a hand on her head and smiled, then walked off.

"You must be really attached to Haru." Kiyotaka said to Ameko.

"Huh?" She asked.

"You acted like if he left you'd get raped or something." Ryuuichi said, laughing.

Ameko's head tilted down as she looked to the ground. Momiji, who was standing next to the group, walked over to Ameko and placed a hand on her back.

"Don't be so hard on her, you guys." He said. "From what I heard she's been through some rough times." He said.

Ameko looked up at Momiji, a pleading look in her eyes asking him not to tell. He smiled at her.

"Just be nice to her, okay?" He asked.

"We'll be nice." Motoshi said, standing with his arm around Setsumi, who smiled at Ameko.

"Ameko-san, could I do your hair?" She asked.

"W-what?" Ameko asked.

"Can I do your hair? It'd look really pretty up." She said.

Ikihara looked over at Ameko. "Oh, and can I do your make-up? You need a bit of eye shadow and you'd be gorgeous." She said.

Tatsuki smiled at Ameko. "And let me give you a few pointers on your clothes, too." She said.

"Umm… okay." Ameko said. The girls stood and took Ameko to the restroom, leaving the guys there to talk among themselves.


	4. Chapter 4

_.:For the Sake of Living… Don't:._

**Chapter 4**

"What are you going to do?" Ameko asked the girls as she sat in the girl's locker room in front of a mirror with the three girls behind her.

"Oh don't worry. We won't hurt you. We just want to see what we can make you look like." Ikihara said.

"Since it's the last period, we're going to let you take some of our clothes home, dress you in them, and then make you look all nice and see what the boys say." Tatsuki said, already trying to measure Ameko.

Ameko hesitated but nodded slowly. "Okay." She said.

Setsumi sat next to Ameko. She smiled. "How do you want your hair up?" She asked.

"Huh?" Ameko asked, turning her head to look at Setsumi.

"How do you want your hair up?" She asked. "I have some ideas, but it's really all up to you how you want it." She said. "Here." Setsumi turned and pulled out a large stack of photos of different girls. Two of the girls were Ikihara and Tatsuki, and then there were two others that posed. "These are the different things that I can do. I think this one will look really pretty, Ameko-san."

Ameko looked at the picture and smiled. "That is pretty." She said.

"It's settled then. I'll put your hair up like this." Setsumi said. She stood up and took out a brush and a comb, as well as small clips and small hair bands.

Ikihara stepped in front of Ameko and sat down so she was eye-level with her. "How much make-up do you wear, Ameko?" She asked.

"Uh, I don't wear any at all." She said.

"I think you'd look really pretty with eye shadow and eyeliner, lip gloss, to make your lips shinier, and then a little touch of blush." Ikihara said, planning out what she was going to do.

"What colors do you like to wear, Ameko-san?" Tatsuki asked Ameko from her locker as she fished through mounds of clothes.

"I like dark colors. Black, red, blue, purple." Ameko said.

"Perfect. I have the best outfit for you." Tatsuki said.

"And I have the perfect shades of make-up for you." Ikihara added.

"And all of the ribbons I'm putting in your hair match that perfectly." Setsumi said, smiling.

"Okay, well before you two start on the make-up and hair, let me take Ameko-san to put the clothes on, okay?" Tatsuki said, taking Ameko's hand and leading her to her locker and taking out what she thought was the perfect outfit. After getting the okay from Ameko, as well as Setsumi and Ikihara, Tatsuki took Ameko to the stalls to change. She handed the clothes to Ameko and stood outside of the stall, talking with Ikihara and Setsumi about the make-up and hairstyle for Ameko.

The boys outside were sitting together, laughing and talking about the pointless crap they usually talked about. Haru walked up to them and looked around.

"Hey guys, where's Ameko?" He asked.

"She went with Ikihara, Tatsuki, and Setsumi to get a make-over." Ryuuichi said.

"Yeah, they were talking about how pretty she'd look with her hair up and stuff. I agree, actually." Motoshi said. "Not that I'd want to see her looking hot and stuff. I've got a girlfriend, thank you very much." He said after looking at Kiyotaka and Ryuuichi, who were grinning evilly.

"Anyway, I think I'd better go and get her. We're supposed to meet my cousins and her cousin after the bell for the end of school rings." Haru said.

"Dude, just sit and relax. She'll be back. Besides, the bell hasn't rung yet, so you have nothing to worry about, right?" Takashi said, leaning back in his chair against the wall. His arms were behind his head and his feet were on the desk in front of him.

Haru knocked Takashi's feet off the desk, causing him to topple over onto the floor. The guys laughed.

"Be more careful." Haru said. "Never know when you're minding your own business and then something like that happens." He said.

"What, something that surprises you like that?" Takashi asked, standing up.

"Yeah, exactly that." Haru said as the bell rang, signaling the end of school.

"Easy for you to say. No one can ever surprise you." Ryuuichi said.

Kiyotaka grinned. "Nah, I beg to differ." He said, looking past the group at the door, where Ikihara, Tatsuki, and Setsumi stood.

"Hey guys." Ikihara said.

"Introducing the new Ameko Morioka." Setsumi said, smiling.

The three took steps to the side, and revealed Ameko. She stood there, her head down, looking at the ground. She then looked up, her eyes landing on Haru. "Hey." She said. "H-how do I look?" She asked them.

Ameko's hair was pulled back, a braid on either side of her head hanging down, framing her face. A purple ribbon was braided with the hair. The rest of Ameko's hair had been twisted up into an elegant bun, the bun held together by two purple and black sticks, with a purple and black ribbon hanging from her hair. The make-up she wore matched the colors perfectly; she had black eye-liner and purple tones for her eye shadow. Her lips shined a very light purple as the light hit them.

The shirt she wore was black, a halter top. It was a low-backed shirt, and it was pretty tight. Connected to the shirt, where the neck would go, was a collar; a leather collar. It was just like a belt; connecting behind the neck with a small silver chain that ran along the back when put on. The sleeves, though not sleeves, started at about halfway between shoulder and elbow, connected to the shirt by leather bands. The front of the shirt cut off a little above the belly button, mesh finishing where the shirt should be. The design on the front was the Japanese character for "Hope", right under that was the character for "Dreams", and underneath that one was the character for "Love", all written in purple with a design of a dragon behind them.

She wore a short skirt, one about as short as the school uniform. It was black with purple rivets. A few safety pins were placed here and there on the skirt to add a little bit of decoration. A chain connected one side of the skirt to the other, hanging loosely.

Ryuuichi, Kiyotaka, and Motoshi stared at her until the other three girls walked up to them.

Ikihara wrapped her arms around Ryuuichi, hugging him from behind. "How'd we do?" She asked.

"You girls did great." Kiyotaka said, Tatsuki coming and sitting on his lap.

"You think?" Setsumi asked Motoshi as he put his arm around her waist.

Ameko looked up at Haru as she walked up to him. "Do I really look good?" She asked.

Haru swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, you look good."

"You look _wonderful_." Takashi said from beside Haru.

Ameko smiled. "Thank you, Takashi-kun." She said.

"Well, we better go and meet Tohru and everyone." Haru said to Ameko.

Ameko nodded and walked up to Tatsuki, giving her a hug.

"You have fun, okay?" She said.

"I will. "Ameko smiled. She hugged Setsumi, who was standing right beside Tatsuki.

"Yeah, don't listen if anyone tells you somethng you don't want to hear. You really look wonderful." Setsumi said to her. Ameko smiled.

"Thanks." She said. Ameko turned around and looked at Ikihara.

"Anyone gives you any trouble, you come to me, okay?" Ikihara said, pulling Ameko into a hug.

Ameko nodded. "Okay." She said.

"Ameko-san, let's go." Haru said from the door.

Ameko turned around, waving to everyone and then walked over to Haru, walking with him to where they were supposed to meet Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, and Momiji.

"Haru-kun, do I really look good?" She asked.

Haru laughed. "I already told you you did." He said.

"I was just making sure." She said as they stepped out of the hallways and emerged onto the school steps, making their way over to Tohru and the gang.

As Ameko caught sight of Tohru, she called out, waving. They all turned, Tohru's face now having a look of surprise on it. Kyo's face dropped, as did Yuki's. Momiji smiled. Ameko and Haru walked up to the group and greeted them.

"Ame-chan! You look wonderful!" Tohru said, giving her a hug.

"Yes, you look great, Morioka-san." Yuki said, smiling.

"Heck, you look _amazing_!" Kyo said.

"Thanks." Ameko said, smiling. She turned to Tohru.

"Onee-chan, can we go dancing tonight?" She asked.

"Well, I don't see why not." Tohru said. She looked around at everyone. "What do you guys think?"

"Since it's Friday, I don't see why it would be a problem." Yuki said. Kyo and Momiji agreed, Haru just shrugged.

"Tohru-chan, can I invite my new friends?" Ameko asked.

"Sure." Tohru said.

"My dad owns a club we can go to. No drinking at all in it." Momiji said.

"Perfect. Go get your friends, Ame-chan. We'll meet you at Shigure's." Tohru said.

"Hai!" Ameko said, running off in the direction of her classroom.

Ameko ran through the halls, her head filled with all of the fun things she would be doing later. She turned the corner, nearly running straight into a guy. She looked up, the smile on her face soon fading as she came face-to-face with one of the guys from the day before.

Ameko turned around quicklly, running into another of the guys. She tried to run, but one man grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Aww... come on. You get dressed up and don't even tell us?" The man holding Ameko's arm said.

Ameko struggled, trying to pull out of the man's grasp. Two more of the guys appeared and Ameko was thrown against the wall. She hit it hard, sliding down it and sitting before them, looking at them terrified. They advanced on her and Ameko put her hands on her head, letting out a high, frightening scream.

A man stepped forward, slapping her face hard. "Shut up! I don't want any of that from you!" He yelled at her.

Ameko put her hand to where the man's hand had made contact to her cheek. She put her head down as the four men walked towards her, lustful looks in each of their eyes.

* * *

Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, and Momiji had left Haru standing at the shcool, the four of them telling Haru to meet them with Ameko at Shigure's house. So Haru sat there on a benck, waiting for Ameko to return with Takashi, Ryuuichi, Motoshi, Kiyotaka, Ikihara, Tatsuki, and Setsumi.

The piercing scream rang through the school. Haru looked up at the school, his eyes going to where he heard the scream.

"Ameko..." Haru said, sprinting through the doors to the school. The halls were deserted, so Haru ran through them as fast as his legs carried him. He ran up staircases and then ran around the corner, nearly tripping over a body lying on the floor.

Haru looked down, four bodies were lying on the floor. His eyes traveled over to two pairs of feet, traveling up the bodies to see Takashi hugging a crying Ameko. Haru walked up to the two.

"Hey... what happened here?" Haru asked, stepping up next to Takashi.

Takashi looked up at Haru, then looked back down at Ameko.

"I heard the scream and I came running. Everyone else had already left, so they couldn't do anything. I got here and she was up against the wall and... and..." Takashi paused as Haru reached out his hand, patting Takashi on the shoulder.

"I know, Takashi, I know." Haru said. He removed his hand from Takashi's shoulder, placing his other hand on Ameko's shoulder.

Ameko jumped, turning her head to reveal her red, tear-stained cheeks and eyes full of nothing but hurt; sadness; sorrow. She looked up at Haru, her hands resting against Takashi as well as her arms. She was standing up close to Takashi, his arms around her. Ameko's tears stopped for a quick second as she saw Haru, but started up again as she ran into his arms, her hands grabbing his shirt as she pulled her body to his, her arms between them. She said no words, made no other movements. Instead she stood there, holding onto Haru's shirt as Haru wrapped his arm around her.

Haru looked up at Takashi. "Thanks for helping her when you did. It could have got a lot farther if you hadn't been here."

Takashi nodded. "No problem. I'm just glad I got here when I did."

Haru bent down, placing his arm behind Ameko's knees andlifting her up carefully. He looked at Takashi. "Tomorrow night we're going to a club; me, Ameko, my cousins and Ameko's cousin. She wants you and everyone else to come too, so call them and ask if they can go. It's at Kurayami Club." Haru told Takashi, who nodded. The two of them said their goodbyes, Haru walking towards the stairs, Takashi towards the classroom.

Haru looked down at Ameko; her eyes now closed and her breathing deep. She had gotten major abuse today. Her shirt was torn; now it housed a cut from the top extending down to her side, showing some of her bra. The mesh was torn off, as was one of the sleeves. The back of the shirt was torn badly, leaving only a thin strip of cloth to hold it together. The chain that had hung down her back was in knots, now wrapped around her neck. Ameko's makeup was smeared all over her face, the eyeliner she wore now making it seem like she got a black eye, blending with the purple eye shadow. The ribbon once in Ameko's hair was now torn, ragged. The chopsticks had either fallen out or were hanging loosely in the now very loose bun. The braids on either side of her face still hung, now with strands of her hair sticking out in places.

Haru walked towards Shigure's house quietly, Ameko sleeping in his arms. The whol ewhil ehe was trying to figure out how someone coul dbe so tormented, so hurt. This gave him a whole new reason to protect Ameko, if she'd let him.

The patio appeared ahead and Haru walked swiftly up to it, walking through the open door and up to Tohru's room, where he kicked the door softly.

Tohru opened the door, looking up at Haru. Her eyes then dropped as she looked to Ameko. "Ame-chan!" Tohru squealed stepping out of the way and letting Haru walk through the door.

Haru placed Ameko gently on Tohru's bed, fixing her head so it lay gently on the pillow. "Don't worry, Tohru. She's just sleeping." Haru assured Tohru, who looked as if she was about to faint. "A but after you guys left, I heard her scream. Takashi had gotten there before I did, so he saved her. I just brought her home." He put the blanket over Ameko, turning to look at Tohru. "Watch her until she wakes up, okay?" He said, walking out of the room and down the stairs.

Not moments later Ameko shot up in the bed. She looked downa t her clothes and her eyes started to water. Looking up, she scanned the room to see a very distraught Tohru sitting at the desk.

"Onee-chan?" Ameko said quietly, the water once occupying her eyes now slowly trailing down her cheeks.

Tohru looked up at Ameko, rushing to the bed and hugging the young girl. Ameko's head rested on Tohru's chest, TOhru's hands craddling it close to her. Ameko put her arms around Tohru and cried.

* * *

Haru sat in the livingroom, his hands holding his head as he tried to figure this whole dillema out. Momiji came and jumped over the couch, landing next to Haru on the couch.

"Hey Haru." Momiji said. "You goin' to the club like that?"

"We're not going today." He answered.

"What? Why?" Momiji asked, surprised.

"Ameko had a run-in with those guys again. She's not in the shape to go tonight." Haru told him. "We're going tomorrow instead."

"Oh... okay." Momiji said. He stood up. "Well, Ameko's awake in Tohru's room, in case you were wondering. I'll be up in Yuki's room." Momiji said, walking up the stairs and passing Ameko, who had her arms in front of her, covering anything that might have lead Momiji to think of anything.

"Ummm..." Ameko said from the top of the stairs.

Haru looked up at Ameko, standing up quickly. "Ameko..." He said before Ameko raced down the stairs and tripped on the rug, falling to her knees in front of Haru. She grabbed onto his pant leg and put her head down, her forehead resting against his leg.

Haru bent down, puttin ghis hand on Ameko's head. "Ameko?"

She looked up at him. "Haru-kun. I'm sorry." She said.

"What for?" Haru asked.

"I'm such a clutz." Ameko said, laughing slightly.

Haru smiled, putting his hand out to help her up. "Are you all right, Ameko?" He asked her.

She smiled back at him, taking his hand and standing up in front of him. "Fine."


	5. Chapter 5

_.:For the Sake of Living… Don't:._

**Chapter 5**

Everyone had slept soundly that night, waiting for the next day when they'd be able to go to the club and hang out without a care. Ameko slept up in Tohru's room, Tohru on the couch and Ameko in the bed. Haru slept on the couch in the living room. Kyo slept up on the roof, as usual. Momiji and Yuki slept in Yuki's room, Momiji on a futon, Yuki in his bed.

Midnight came around, the small clock in the hallway dinging to signal its arrival. Ameko was awake in the room, staring up at the ceiling. She quietly removed the covers, putting her feet to the side of the bed and stepping onto the floor. It creaked somewhat loudly, making her wince and look in Tohru's direction quickly. Tohru turned, her back now facing Ameko, still in sleep.

Ameko sighed, relieved that she didn't wake up Tohru. She then walked over to the door, her feet making no noise as she walked. She quietly slid the door open, closing it and walking to the stairs. She put her foot on the first step, her bare-feet connecting with the wood quietly as she peaked downstairs to see who was there. She looked around the livingroom, spotting a small lump on the couch. Curious as she was, she stepped onto the other step to see if she could get a better look at whoever it was.

The lump on the couch moved slightly, an arm raising and going to what looked like a head. The other arm hung over the side of the couch, barely touching the floor. Ameko walked quietly down the stairs, her hand trailing next to her on the railing. She stepped onto the last step and stopped, looking closer at who lie on the bed. After a couple moments of trying to see who it was, Ameko realized that the only person it _could_ be was Haru. She stepped quietly onto the ground, walking to the couch. She stood a short distance away, watching him silently.

Haru opened his eye slightly, looking to see who had come down the stairs. He had heard them, though they were being quiet. He saw a pair of shorts and a long-sleeved shirt and hair that went down to the mid-back. He opened his eye wider and saw that it was Ameko. Closing his eye back up, he opened both of his eyes slowly, rubbing them with his one hand. He sat up slightly. "Ameko?"

Ameko jumped slightly. "Oh, Haru-kun. I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" She asked.

"No, I was awake when you got down here." He lied. He didn't want to bother her with the fact that she _had_ woke him up. He sat up more, looking at her. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Ameko's hand, covered in the long sleeve, was up at her mouth, somewhat covering her face. Her other hand was behind her back. She looked down at Haru and shook her head slightly.

Haru reached out his hand and took Ameko by the arm, pulling her to the couch where he sat. He sat her down on his lap, turning her head to look at him. "Something's wrong. I can tell." He told her. "You can tell me, Ameko." He said softly.

Ameko looked away, a red tint appearing on her cheeks. "Am I that easy to read?" Her voice was nearly a whisper.

Haru smiled softly. "Please, Ameko? If something's bothering you, then you have to tell me." He said to her.

"Can I sleep down here?" She asked, the red on her cheeks now turning a deeper color slowly.

"Huh?" Haru asked, a little surprised.

"It's just... I feel safe when you're around." She said, the red on her cheeks now bright and very noticable.

Haru smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, you can sleep down here." He said.

Ameko turned her head to look at him. "Really?" She asked.

He nodded. Scooting closer to the back of the couch, Haru made enough room for her to sleep right there, next to him. "You can sleep right here if you want. If not, I'll go get another blanket so you can sleep on the..." He stopped as he felt Ameko's body press against his as she got under the covers, lying next to him. She looked up at him timidly.

"Sorry. Do you want me to move?" She asked him.

"Sorry. Do you want me to move?" She asked him.

Haru shook his head. "No, it's fine." He said. He moved down the bed until he was lying down, his head on the pillow next to Ameko. Without thinking, he put his arm around her waist, holding her closer to him. He blushed as he realized what he did. "So you don't fall off." He said quickly, explaining himself.

Ameko blushed slightly, putting a hand under the pillow, the other one on the elbow of the first arm. She closed her eyes, her head tilted down. Her heart silently pounded more than it should have; her body was shaking slightly as it did.

Haru looked down at Ameko as she shook, putting his arm around her more. He rose his head up and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then moving his lips next to her ear, he whispered softly, "Good night," and settled back down, closing his eyes.

Ameko's face turned slightly pink yet again. She didn't let this bother her, but she couldn't help the fact that he had his arm around her, had kissed her forehead, and when he whispered good night that his lips had brushed against her ear lightly. She wanted to ignore the fact that it had happened, knowing that there was nothing between the two of them. It couldn't happen. It just couldn't. She drifted off in her thoughts and slowly fell into a deep sleep, waiting until the morning, when she could wake up with no problems.

* * *

Morning came around and Haru woke up slowly, rubbing his eyes with one hand. He looked down at saw Ameko sleeping soundly, her chest slowly rising with each breath. He smiled and then sat up slowly as to not disturb her. He then looked around and saw Shigure grinning at him from his seat on his chair. Haru jumped slightly, but his face then went straight. "What?" He asked. 

"Oh, it's nothing. Just wondering why you are down here with Ameko, sleeping on a small couch, your arm around her." He said. "You naughty boy, you." Shigure teased.

"I didn't do anything. _We_ didn't do anything." He said, looking down at Ameko. "She just… and I…" Haru slurred his words, not sure of what to say exactly to explain to Shigure that nothing had happened.

Ameko slowly opened her eyes to look at the coffee table. She brought a hand up to her eyes and rubbed them slowly. She looked up and saw Haru, looking off to her right. She turned and looked, seeing Shigure smiling down at her. "Ohayoo gozaimasu." She said.

Haru looked down at Ameko, who sat up slowly. He then looked to her and sighed slightly. "Please tell Shigure that nothing happened last night." He begged her. "He won't believe me."

"Oh… but… Don't you remember, Haru-kun?" She asked, her cheeks starting to turn slightly red.

Haru panicked. "Huh? What! What happened!" He practically yelled out.

Ameko turned her head away. "It was… magical." She said, putting her hand to her cheek. She looked back at Haru. "How could you forget?" She said, tears now slightly welling up in her eyes.

Haru put his hands to his head, confused. He put his head down. "Damnit…" He said. He looked back up at Ameko. "Well, I take full responsibility if anything did happen… and… I guess… I'll marry you if… you know… I got you…" He swallowed, not liking the possibility. "Got you… pregnant…" He said.

Ameko smiled and then looked at Shigure, who was laughing. She started giggling a little bit, full laughter soon coming out of her mouth. Haru looked at the two confused. Shigure stood up and clapped loudly, bringing his hands together quickly to create a long chain of claps.

"Wonderful, Ameko! Just wonderful!" He said. "Marks of a true actress!" He brought a hand up to his eye, pretending to wipe a tear away. "I'll definitely write about you in one of my books."

Haru looked down at Ameko, confused. Ameko smiled timidly up at him. "Shigure-sama said that I wouldn't get you to freak out… and I wanted to prove him wrong." She explained to him. "Nothing happened last night." She reassured Haru, who looked about to pass out.

Haru looked from Ameko to Shigure, a look of pure hatred surfacing. Ameko wrapped her arm around his, hugging it to her. "Haru-kun. Don't be mad at Shigure-sama." She said. "It was my fault. I did it. Don't be mad at Shigure-sama." She said again, putting her head against his arm.

Haru looked down at her, that hatred slowly diminishing. He looked down at her softly, leaning down and putting a hand on her back. "Okay, Ameko." He said. "I won't be mad." He told her.

Shigure watched as this all played out, squealing delightfully. "This is perfect! I must go write it down before it is erased from my brain! You two lovebirds have fun!" He said in a sing-song voice.

Haru looked up at him with an evil glare. "Watch it, dog." He said.

Shigure whimpered slightly and walked quickly to his room, disappearing behind the door and closing it quickly.

Ameko sat up, the blanket sliding off of her slowly. She put her legs over the side of the couch, giving Haru room to move and sit down comfortably, which is exactly what he did. He sat next to Ameko, looking at her questionably. "Anything wrong?" He asked her.

"Thanks for letting me stay down here." She said. "It probably was a hassle for you. Sorry." She said.

"No, it's fine. It was nice to have company." He said. "If you ever want to, you can come down here whenever you like and sleep here. I don't mind." He told her, smiling warmly.

Ameko looked up at him, smiling back and nodding. The two of them turned their heads to look at the stairs, seeing a tired Tohru at the top of them. She rubbed her eyes and looked down at the two of them.

"Ame-chan. I was wondering where you were." She said.

Ameko smiled slightly. "Sorry onee-chan. I woke up early so I came down here." She lied.

"Okay. Well, I'll get started on breakfast." She said, yawning and starting to descend the stairs.

"No, onee-chan. You don't have to. I can do it." Ameko said.

"I'll help too." Haru offered. Ameko nodded and looked back up at Tohru, who had stopped.

"Just go back to bed, okay? We'll wake you up when breakfast is ready." Ameko said.

Tohru nodded, turning back around and heading back to her room. She turned the corner and went into her room, closing the door behind her slowly. Ameko sighed and turned to look at Haru. "You really want to help?" She asked him.

Haru shrugged. "I said I would, didn't I?" He said, smiling slightly. He nodded towards the kitchen. "Let's get started."

Ameko smiled back and nodded. "Hai." She said. She walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge and taking out things that they would use to make the breakfast.

* * *

_"...The two danced on, the people around them fading as well as the scenery as the couple drifted off into their own world, every care they had left behind. She wrapped her arms around his neck very delicately, one hand grabbing the wrist of the other in a tight lock. She looked up at him, smiling sweetly and searching his eyes._

_He smiled back at her, wrapping his arms around her waist protectively and pulling her closer to him. The eye-contact the two had been keeping was still connected, not daring to be broken. He smiled, leaning down, placing to placea quick kiss on her soft, crimson lips. After their lips met in what was meant to be a quick kiss, they couldn't be separated. He put his hand behind her neck, craddling her head gently as he pulled her into the kiss slightly._

_There had been a slight pressence of the world before, but when the two met in the kiss, that had diminished, leaving them left in a world where only the two of them existed; where only the love that surged through them ruled. The two stood still now, their lips pressed together gently, sharing the silent words that the twoof them wanted to say but couldn't get out of their mouths._

_The couple slowly parted, their lips pealing apart from each other as if they wanted to stay together forever. He looked down at her, smiling warmly as she looked up at him, a timid smile on her face. He put his hand on her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb and sending chills down her body. She closed her eyes, leaning her head slightly into the hand and smiling sweetly up at him. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers as he looked down into her eyes, and she looked up into his._

_'I'll never let you go,' He said quietly._

_She smiled up at him, whispering softly, 'I'd never want you to.'_

_The two stood there, their lips soon pressed together and their arms around each other. He stood with his arms resting comfortably around her waist, pulling her body close to his. She stood with her arms wrapped gently around his neck, holding him in place. The two stood there, lost in each other. Their bodies became one, destined by fate to merge together as such."_

Shigure looked down at his finished work and smiled. He clapped his hands together before standing up and walking to the door, opening it to get a blast of sweet-smelling foods from the kitchen. He closed his eyes, smelling the sweet aroma that filled the air. He walked forward towards the kitchen, stopping at the doorway to check on what was happening. Haru was getting a lesson in cooking; making rice balls to be exact.

Ameko was standing in front of Haru, watching him as he molded the ball in his hand. She smiled and put her hands on his, helping him mold it better. She looked up at him, asking him a question. But Shigure couldn't hear it; he was just watching the movements. Haru smiled back down at Ameko and nodded.

Shigure smiled. He put his head down and then cleared his throat. "Hello my two lovebirds. How is breakfast coming?" He asked.

Ameko and Haru looked over at Shigure, Haru giving Shigure a dirty look while Ameko stood behind him, standing there quietly and smiling at Shigure. She put her hand on Haru's arm, pulling him slightly back.

"Don't start anything, Haru-kun." She said to him, looking up at him with a pleading look.

Haru turned around and looked down at Ameko, smiling and nodding. "I won't." He said. He turned around, giving Shigure a dirty look over his shoulder as he put his back to him, placing the rice ball on a plate and starting on the next one.

Ameko walked up to Shigure. "Shigure-sama, have you finished?" She asked him.

"What? Oh yes!" He said gleefully. "Just finished it now. Would you like to have a look?" He asked her.

Ameko nodded. She turned around and looked at Haru. "Haru-kun, I'll be back." She said. He waved a hand, indicating that he heard and Ameko and Shigure walked over to Shigure's room, where Shigure handed Ameko the laptop to read it. Ameko looked it over, smiling, then looked at the keyboard and back up at the screen. Ameko moved the mouse, clicked somewhere, and then started typing a bit of her own. When she was done, she handed the laptop back to Shigure, who looked it over.

_"...The two danced on, the people around them fading as well as the scenery as the couple drifted off into their own world, every care they had left behind. She wrapped her arms around his neck very delicately, one hand grasping the wrist of the other in a tight lock. She looked up at him, smiling sweetly and searching his eyes before leaning forward and resting her head gently on his chest.  
_

_He smiled back at her, wrapping his arms around her waist securely and pulling her closer to him. He looked down at her, smiling warmly. He put his hand under her chin, raising her head to look up at him. He smiled, leaning down, planning to place a quick kiss on her soft, crimson lips. After their lips met in what was meant to be a quick kiss, they couldn't be separated. He put his hand behind her neck, cradling her head gently as he pulled her into the kiss slightly. Her arms wrapped around his neck more, pulling him into the kiss as well.  
_

_There had been a slight presence of the world before, but when the two met in the kiss, that had diminished, crumbling to pieces and leaving them left in a world where only the two of them existed; where only the love that surged through them ruled. The two stood still now, the lights around them now illuminating them and the floor around where they stood, shining on other figures that were still floating around them. Their lips were pressed together gently, sharing the silent words that the two of them wanted to say but couldn't get out of their mouths.  
_

_The couple slowly parted, their lips pealing apart from each other as if they wanted to stay together forever. He looked down at her, smiling warmly as she looked up at him, a timid smile on her face. He put his hand on her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb and sending chills throughout her body. She closed her eyes, leaning her head slightly into the hand and smiling sweetly up at him. Feeling the slight chills that had gone through her body, he held her closer to him, wrapping his protective arms around her. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers as he looked down into her eyes, and she looked up into his.  
_

_Gently closing her eyes, she whispered softly, 'Never let me go...'  
_

_He smiled back at her, stroking her cheek slightly and causing her to open her eyes. He smiled warmly at her. 'I'd never think of doing that,' He whispered back to her. _

_Moments later the two stood there, their lips pressed together and their arms around each other; holding each other in a never-ending world. He stood with his arms resting comfortably around her waist, pulling her body close to his. She stood with her arms wrapped gently around his neck, holding him in place. The two stood there, lost in each other. Their bodies became one, destined by fate to merge together as such."_

Shigure's eyes watered. He turned his head to look up at Ameko, who was standing and smiling slightly down at Shigure. "Ameko... it's... you're..." He couldn't finish his sentence. He finally put his hands together, a single tear streaming down his face. "Beautiful." He said.

Ameko smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you, but now I have to go back and finish making breakfast." She said. She turned to walk out the door when Shigure grabbed her arm.

"Do you think you'd want to write this story with me?" He asked her. "It wouldbe a little experiment for me, since I've never written something with someone else." He said.

Ameko smiled and shook her head slowly. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm actually planning on writing a book myself." She said.

Shigure's eyes brightened. "Really? When?" He asked.

Ameko shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just want to write one, so I guess I will. I don't know when, but I will." She said. She put her hand on Shigure's, the one that was gripping her arm. "I have to go back now." Ameko said.

Shigure released her and nodded. "And I should get back to my story. Have to have it ready by..." A loud crash interrupted them and a hysterical face appeared in the doorway.

"Shi... gu... re..." The person said, their eye twitching.

Shigure smiled nervously. "Mittchan... What a... er... pleasant surprise."

"Surprise? SURPRISE!" Mittchan said loudly. "You were supposed to have that done yesterday!" She said, pointing to the laptop.

Shigure stood up. "I know, I know. But, I must be going now. I must help Ameko prepare breakfast." He told her.

Mitchan's eyes started watering. "Shigure!" She weeped, falling to her knees in the middle of the room.

Ameko looked from the distraught Mittchan to Shigure. "Shigure-sama, aren't you going to do anything?" She asked.

Shigure nodded. He walked over to Mittchan. "I'll have it ready by this afternoon. I have to finish printing it out and then I have to make a special dedication and then it'll be ready for you." He told her.

Mittchan looked up at him, a tear-stained face. "R...really?" She said. Shigure nodded.

"But for now I have to be somewhere." He said.

"Where are you going, Shigure-sama?" Ameko asked.

"I'm going to visit Ayame. We planned to meet today, totally forgot about it. I shall see you all in the evening." He said, swiftly leaving out the door.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry about the delay... Stuff's happening in school and whatnot... New start of term, new classes... And now I'm gonna try and enter that one TokyoPop contest thinger... just to see if my friend and I can get in... lol we have an idea for our manga, we just need to get off our butts and do it. So yeah. I gave you guys a long one, so be happy. lol Bye everyone! And thanks for reviewing!


	6. Chapter 6

_.:For the Sake of Living… Don't:._

**Chapter 6**

Everyone gathered around the table as the sweet-smelling food was placed upon it. Everyone took what they wanted to eat, placing it on their plates and devouring it as if it would disappear within a matter of time. The breakfast was full of talking; laughter; happiness. No one even thought of the events from the day before. It was washed from their minds, never to return that day. Today was a day they were going to have fun, all of them.

Ameko and Haru cleaned up the plates again this morning while everyone else went and did their thing. Yuki went outside, disappearing from sight with Tohru. Momiji was in the living room watching anime on television, and Kyo was up on the roof practicing his karate. Shigure was still out with Ayame, expected to be back before all of them left for the club. Yet it was nearing time for them all to leave and Shigure still was not back.

Haru set the phone down, looking back at Ameko, who was sitting on Tohru's bed quietly. He walked up to her and sat down next to her on the bed, turned slightly to look at her.

"She said it was fine. Once she heard what happened, she said that her clothes didn't matter, but that you were safe and okay." Haru told Ameko.

"But still. I think that I should at least buy her new clothes." Ameko said. "I feel kind of guilty."

"Why do you feel guilty, Ameko?" He asked her, putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her to look at him.

"I ruined her clothes. I can't help but feel guilty." She said.

"**You** didn't ruin them. You were just wearing them when they were ruined." He told her.

"O… okay." She said.

Haru smiled. "Now that that's settled, we best get going." Haru said, standing up.

Ameko looked up at him, confused. "We're not leaving for another two hours." She told him. "Get going where?"

"Tatsuki invited the two of us over to her house for a little bit. Setsumi and Ikihara are there as well." He told her. "Let's get going." He said.

"Wait. Only Setsumi and Ikihara? What about everyone else?" She asked.

"Well, they had a sleepover or something. Not only that, but they want to give you another make-over before the club tonight." Haru told her.

Ameko shook her head. "Oh no, I couldn't wear her clothing again! I'd get it ruined!" She said.

Haru smiled, shaking his head in return. "No. I'm never going to leave you alone when we're at the club. No clue who could be there or what their intentions are." He said. "I will never leave your side." Haru told her.

Ameko nodded slowly. "Okay. Let's go." She said, standing up and taking Haru's hand, which was outstretched.

Haru smiled and lead Ameko out of Tohru's room and downstairs, where he told Momiji that they would meet them at the club. Momiji nodded, going back to watching his anime, which had just returned from a commercial. The two of them walked outside, and headed in the direction of Tatsuki's house. When they finally reached it, Haru walked up to the door with Ameko behind him. He knocked on the surface, stepping back slightly to wait for an answer.

An older woman, around her late-thirties, early-forties answered the door. She smiled. "Hatsuharu Sohma. What a pleasant surprise! Nice to see you again, dear. Come in, come in." She said, opening the door wider and stepping to the side. Haru held tight to Ameko's hand, pulling her inside with him. The woman closed the door after the two of them came in and smiled. "And who might this lovely young lady be?" She asked.

Haru looked at Ameko, who was shying behind him, and stepped to the side, bringing her next to him. "This is Ameko Morioka. She's a new friend, and Tatsuki invited her over as well as me." He told her. The woman smiled at Ameko.

Ameko returned the smile, bowing and speaking somewhat softly, "Hajimemashite."

The woman smiled even brighter. She bowed back, smiling warmly. "What a proper young lady." She said. "Well, Tatsuki's up in her room with Ikihara and Setsumi. Have fun." She said, walking back into the kitchen.

Haru walked up the stairs, Ameko following. He came up to Tatsuki's door and knocked softly. Laughing was heard from inside, as was the loud voice of Tatsuki saying, "Come in!" Haru put his hand on the doorknob and opened the door slowly. He walked inside with Ameko following.

Tatsuki smiled. "Ameko! Haru! Glad you guys could make it." She said. She moved to the side, making more room on her bed. "Sit! Make yourselves comfortable." She said. Ameko moved over to the bed and sat down, Haru going to sit down on the chair at the desk. Setsumi and Ikihara were sitting on a beanbag chair each.

Ikihara looked up at Ameko. "I think I need to go and beat those guys up." She said, her face going from very happy to serious.

Ameko looked back at her. Setsumi then nodded in agreement. "I should talk to Motoshi; see if he has any friends that would be willing to beat those guys up."

"But…" Ameko started to say before Tatsuki cut her off.

"Don't tell me you're siding with them." She said.

"No, I was going to say that Takashi already beat them up." Ameko told her.

The three of them looked at her amazed. "Are you serious!" Ikihara asked. "A weakling like him?"

"He's not a weakling. He's actually really strong." Ameko said, defending Takashi.

The three of them looked back at Ameko. "Ameko… do you… _like_ Takashi?" Setsumi asked.

Haru, who had been playing with the snowglobe on Tatsuki's desk, suddenly turned his head to look at Ameko, wondering silently if it was true. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for her answer.

"I like him as a friend. I always defend my friends." She said.

Tatsuki smiled. "Glad to hear it, Ameko, glad to hear it." She said. "Now, onto the makeover!"

Ikihara and Setsumi smiled. Setsumi walked over to a pile of stuff and took out her big book of hairstyles, flipping through it and trying to find one that would be perfect for Ameko. Ikihara was raiding Tatsuki's bathroom, looking for the best eyeliner and eye shadow colors she could find. Tatsuki had grabbed Ameko and lead her over to the large walk-in closet in her room, closing the door and leaving Haru, Setsumi, and Ikihara to do whatever they pleased while the two of them searched for the perfect outfit.

Setsumi looked up at Haru. "So, do _you_ like Ameko?" She asked.

Haru looked down at her. He shrugged slightly. "I dunno."

Ikihara's head appeared from the bathroom. "Oh, yes you do." She said, grinning.

Haru shook his head. "Even if I did I'm not telling." He said.

"Ooh, so that means you _like her_." Setsumi said, giggling.

"What? I never said that!" He said, surprised that from one little statement Setsumi had hit gold.

"You never said you didn't." Setsumi replied back.

"Plus, your expression just told it all." Ikihara said from the bathroom.

Setsumi and Ikihara laughed, Tatsuki and Ameko emerging from the closet at the same moment. Tatsuki grinned. "What'd you two do now?" She asked.

Setsumi and Ikihara stopped, looking at each other. A moment later their laughter once again filled the room. Tatsuki shook her head, smiling slightly. "You guys." She said. "Okay, who claims Ameko next?" She asked.

Setsumi grabbed Ameko's arm, pulling herself up. "I do." She said.

She sat Ameko down in front of the bed, sitting on it herself; one leg pulled up under her and the other hanging to the side of Ameko. She grabbed a brush and started brushing her hair, pulling two strands aside and putting the rest into a loose ponytail. She turned Ameko's head and brushed one strand of hair, braiding it tightly. She then put a small band on the end of that, turning Ameko's head the other way and brushing that strand, braiding it just as tightly. After banding that one, she took the rest of Ameko's hair, taking it out of the ponytail, and she put it up into a bun.

"It looks the same as last time." Haru said.

"Well, it's not going to." She said, putting blue and black chopsticks into the bun she had just made. Taking both strands of hair, Setsumi put them in the back of Ameko's head, tying them off with a blue ribbon. The ribbon and tied part of the hair hung at the top of the bun, nearly hidden. She then wrapped the loose hair around the bun, letting the ribbon hang freely. She smiled and then leaned over Ameko's shoulder.

"The way I put it up, if you ever want it down, just take the chopsticks out and stick them in your pocket or whatever. Your hair will fall and you'll have the two braids tied in the back." She told Ameko.

Ameko smiled and thanked Setsumi before Ikihara grabbed her hand and she stood up, being taken to a chair in the room. Ikihara stood in front of Ameko, leaning against the desk with the make-up in her hand. She applied a little eyeliner, extending it a little on one eye, and then she moved to eye shadow, where she used soft blue tones. She set those aside and took out a clear-looking gloss for Ameko's lips, applying it sparingly. She then put that down, twisting open the cap to something she had never used on Ameko before. Ikihara put her finger in the small capsule and then put the same finger next to her eye, where she had extended the eyeliner. She then put her finger back into the goo and placed her finger on the eyelid of the opposite eye, dabbing gently with her finger. She closed that, set it aside, and took out some blush, this a slight pink in color. She took a brush and gently brushed along the make-up, then gently brushed on Ameko's cheeks. She set all of the make-up aside once again and took out a spray. She sprayed a small amount on Ameko's neck, then she sprayed it in the air above Ameko, the spray falling and landing on her.

Haru coughed. "So that's what you guys to do smell so strong…" He said, waving his hand in front of his face. "Jeez, you could kill someone with that stuff."

Ikihara made a face at Haru and then looked back down at Ameko. "Very pretty." She said, smiling. She stood her up and turned her around so that everyone could get a good look.

Ameko was wearing hip-hugging dark jeans, a black studded belt in the belt loops. The jeans dragged on the ground slightly, as Tatsuki was slightly taller than Ameko. But that would all be fixed when the three of them finished with Ameko. As for now, they still weren't done. Her shirt ended at the end of her ribcage, leaving a good four inches of her well-toned stomach showing. It had a design of a dove in a very dark blue color, almost hard to see. The back of the shirt said _Tobu… Iru… Jiyuu…_ in dark blue letters, outlined in a soft, lighter blue. The words looked as if they were written with ribbon, each of the letters connected together as with each of the words.

Tatsuki smiled. "Ameko, what size shoe do you wear?" She asked.

"What?" Ameko asked, turning around to look at her.

"Your shoe size. What is it?" Tatsuki asked again.

"Um… well… it depends on what kind of shoe it is." She said.

"Okay. One second." Tatsuki said, disappearing into her closet again. She brought out a single shoe, walking over to Ameko and placing it on the ground. "Here. Try it. See if it fits."

Ameko slipped her foot into the shoe. "It fits perfectly." She said.

Tatsuki smiled. "Perfect." She said. "Let's find you the perfect pair of shoes to wear tonight." She said. She disappeared into the closet again, emerging with two pairs of high-heeled shoes in her arms. She went back into the closet, carrying out three more. She put them all in front of the bed, sitting Ameko on it. Ameko looked down at her.

"All right. Let's try them on." Tatsuki said, lifting up Ameko's pant leg. She picked up one pair, a rather high shoe, somewhere around 2-inches of heel. She took Ameko's foot and placed it into the shoe, clipping it and then showing everyone. "What do you think?"

Setsumi made a face before making a thumbs-down, Ikihara doing the same. Haru just sat there. Tatsuki looked at him expectedly. "What? I'm a **guy**. Guys don't know these things." He said.

Tatsuki took the shoe off, grabbing another one. These were only about 1 ½-inch heels, and they had a type of lace that went up mid-calf. She put Ameko's foot into these, lacing it up and showing the girls. Setsumi did a thumbs-up, Ikihara doing a thumbs-down. Tatsuki took the shoe off and grabbed another one.

It went on until there was one that everyone had agreed on. These shoes had a 1 ½-inch heel in somewhat of a boot-style. It was open-toed, and had a single strap across the top of her foot. In the back, a strap went across her heel, wrapping around her leg and tying at about halfway up her calf. Setsumi and Ikihara applauded this selection, and Ameko agreed on it. Tatsuki took the shoe off and then she rolled the other pant leg up. She reached under her bed, taking out a small chest. She opened it, removing a dark blue nail polish as well as a lighter blue pen and a white pen. She removed the nail polish remover as well as some cotton balls and q-tips. She then lifted up a compartment in the chest, removing some acrylic nails and glue. The nails had a small diamond on two of them, the smallest ones, and then a slightly larger diamond and two smaller ones on two more, the largest ones. She handed that to Setsumi, then sat down on the floor comfortably, shaking the bottle of nail polish.

Ikihara looked over at Haru. "See why we asked you to come over _now_?" She asked him.

Haru looked back, nodding. "Got anything for _me_ to do? I'm dead bored." He said.

"I thought you liked this kind of thing, Haru." Setsumi said jokingly as she took out a clean cotton ball, placing some warm water on them and rubbing it on Ameko's thumbnail.

"You know, make-up and hair and painting nails isn't really '_my thing_'." Haru said.

"You could always call up one of the boys." Tatsuki said. "You guys can go hang out on the patio out back and talk or whatever. I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind." She said, not looking away from painting Ameko's nails a deep blue.

"Okay." Haru said. "Any particular person?" He asked.

Tatsuki shrugged. "Whoever." She said. "You could call Kiyotaka. My mom would be happy if he came over. Or Takashi. She keeps complaining that she never sees him enough anymore."

Ikihara laughed from next to Setsumi on the bed. "Yeah right, like he'd come out here." She said. "He's probably too busy with his fencing or manners classes." She said. Setsumi giggled.

Ameko looked at Haru confused. "Takashi's somewhat of a rich boy. His family has a lot of money and he takes a lot of classes at home on the weekend. Fencing, karate, defense classes, those kinds of things." Haru explained.

"Ooh." Ameko said, nodding. "I get it. But… why doesn't he go to a private school if he has that much money?" Ameko asked.

Tatsuki glanced up at Setsumi, who looked to Ikihara who looked at Haru. She was making gestures behind Ameko, telling Haru not to say anything.

"Well, let's just say that his old girlfriend goes to the private school he could attend." Haru said, giving Ameko a very vague answer. Nevertheless, Ameko nodded in understanding.

Haru stood, walking to the phone in Tatsuki's room. He picked it up, dialing a number and putting it on speaker. The phone rang a few times and then Takashi's voice was heard.

"Hello?"

"Hey Takashi. 'Sup?" Haru asked.

"Hey Haru. Not much here, sitting around and stuff."

"Not in the middle of your classes?" Ikihara joked, Setsumi laughing slightly.

"Haha, very funny Ikihara." He said.

"Anyway, we're over here at Tatsuki's house. Come over." Haru said.

"You sure?"

"If he wasn't sure, he wouldn't have said it." Tatsuki said. "My mom would be glad to see you again. Plus, you don't want to leave Haru here with four girls, do you?" She asked.

"Four?"

"Yeah. Tatsuki, Setsumi, Ikihara, and Ameko are here." Haru said.

"All right. I'll come." Takashi said after a short pause.

"Cool. See ya in a bit." Haru said.

"Bye." The line ended and Haru hung up. He looked over at Setsumi and Ikihara, who were giggling.

"That definitely proves that he can't stand being anywhere that girls aren't." Ikihara said, grinning.

"Yeah." Setsumi agreed. She placed the first nail on Ameko's thumb, pressing down tightly and holding it in place.

"I'll go down and wait for him." He said. "Don't be too long. We can all go over to my cousin's house after you three are done with her." Haru told them. He walked to the door and closed it. Before actually walking away, Haru heard the words, "So… who do you like, Ameko?" He shook his head. He didn't want to hear it. It wasn't him, so there was really no point hearing her answer. He walked down the stairs, sitting on the couch and talking with Tatsuki's mother to pass the time until Takashi got there.


End file.
